Rotor for rotary wafer switch with embedded contact interconnecting means



March 2, c U

ROTOR FQR ROTARY CONTACT IN Filed Sept. 4, 1962 AL WAFER TERCONNE3,171,906 SWITCH WITH EMBEDDED CTING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 i M m m Q mw U Q Q x Q 5 o o FIG.

INVENTOR KENNETH C. ALLISON W ATTORNEY March 2, 1965 K. c. ALLISON ROTORFOR ROTARY WAFER SWITCH WITH EMBEDDED CONTACT INTERCONNECTING MEANS 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1962 FIG. 3.

C FIG. 4.

lNVENTOR KENNETH C. ALLISON BY M 4 M ATTORNEY March 2, 1965 K. c.ALLISON 3,171,906

ROTOR FOR ROTARY WAFER SWITCH WITH EMBEDDED CONTACT INTERCONNECTINGMEANS Filed Sept. 4, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR KENNETH C. ALLISONAT TOR NEY United States Patent 3,171,906 ROTOR FOR ROTARY WAFER SWITCHWITH EMBEDDED CONTACT INTER- CONNECTING MEANS Kenneth C. Allison,Crystal Lake, 111., assignor to CTS Corporation, Elkhart, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 221,120 12 Claims.(Cl. 20011) This invention relates to rotary switches generally, and inparticular to an improved rotor construction for rotary wafer switches.

Switches of this type all have a stator supporting a plurality ofstationary contact members and a rotor equipped with conductive metalblades which selectively interconnects various combinations ofstationary contact members as the rotor is rotated. This system issatisfactory for most switch circuits, however, when it is desired toelectrically connect a contact member on the stator to another contactmember which is perhaps 150 from the first with a number of contactmembers located between the two, which are not wanted in the circuit,then this system of simply extending the rotor blading to electricallyconnect the two contact members cannot be done. Some other system mustbe developed.

This same problem also arises when rotary water switches are providedwith stationary contacts located on both sides of the stator, and it isdesired to electrically connect a stationary contact member on one sideof the stator to a stationary contact member on the other side of thestrator.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide meanswhereby stationary contact members located remotely on the stator of arotary wafer switch can be electrically connected without providingblading on the rotor which extends from one stationary contact member tothe other.

An additional object of this invention is to provide means forelectrically connecting the stationary contacts on a rotary wafer switchWithout aiIecting the desired pattern of blading used on the rotor.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds, and the features ofnovelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisspecification.

Briefly, the present invention is concerned with a rotary Wafer switchcomprising a stator provided with a plurality of contact members fixedlysecured to the outer periphery thereof and a rotor provided with aninternal arcuate passageway receiving a conductor, the ends of theconductor interconnecting remotely disposed blades molded into the bodyof the rotor for electrically interconnecting a pair of nonadjacentcontact members on the same side or on opposite sides of the stator.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numeralshave been applied to like parts and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a rotary wafer switch having a pluralityof stationary contact members located on both sides of the stator andwhich employs a rotor having two sets of conductive blading to engagethe stationary contact members on each side of the stator;

' FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 1 showingthe inner construction of the rotor;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 shows the configuration of a typical con- 3,171,995 PatentedMar. 2, 1965 ductor used to electrically connect separate blades on therotor in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of a metal strip upon which the rotor bodyis molded; and

FIGURE 7 is a view of the strip shown in FIGURE 6 With the body ofinsulating material molded around the perforations in the strip.

The switch consists of a stator 10 and a rotor 12. The rotor has anopening 13 to receive a fiat sided shaft (not shown) by which rotationis imparted to the rotor.

The stator comprises an annular body of insulating material having aplurality of contact members attached thereto. The annular body isprovided with a relative thick peripheral section 14 and a relativelythin inner section 15. Mounted on both sides of the peripheral section14 of the stator is a plurality of double sided, symmetrically shapedcontact members indicated generally by the number 11. These contactmembers are identical except for their length. For example, the contactmember 16 extends inwardly toward the rotor further than does thecontact member 17. These contact members are attached to the stator bymeans of eyelets 18 which extend through openings 19 in the contacts andopenings 20 in the stator as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Each contact member is located between two equally spaced radiallyextending ribs 22, a plurality of which are provided on both sides ofthe thick peripheral section 14 of the stator 10. The ribs are equippedwith wedge shaped back sections 25 so that the distance between the ribsis a minimum at the outer periphery of the annular body. The contactmembers 11 are designed so that they engage the ribs only at theperiphery of the stator body. A portion of the contact member engagingthe ribs is curved so that the contact members resiliently engage theribs when fixedly secured to the stator. These features of the switchare fully described in my copending application Serial No. 221,096entitled Electric Switch. The openings 20 provided in the stator forreceiving the eyelets 18 are located equidistant between each pair ofribs 22 so that one of the contact members 11 can be mounted between anypair of ribs on either side of the stator.

The contact members are conventionally shaped except for the curvedsection mentioned above. Each of the contact members is formed from asingle strip of metal bent back on itself. Each contact member hascontact jaws 28 and 29, opening 19 to receive the mounting eyelet orrivet and the opening 30 through which a wire lead can be passed whenthe switch is connected into a circuit. The contact members are arrangedso that when they are assembled on the stator the contact jaws 28 and 29will be forced together towards each other with some force. This insuresthat the contact jaws 28 and 29 of each contact member will make goodelectrical contact with the rotor blades as they pass between the jaws.

The rotor 12 comprises two sections 32 and 33. The two sections areidentical and are combined to form the rotor by simply turning onesection over so that the top side of each is facing outwardly from theswitch. Each section of the rotor is formed by molding a body ofinsulating material 43 around a plurality of fingers formed in a metalstrip. FIGURE 6 illustrates the metal strip before the insulatingmaterial is molded thereto. A group of perforations generally indicatedby the numbers 40, 41, 52, and 53 is formed in the strip to form aplurality of fingers. The insulating material 43 is then molded aroundthe fingers formed by the perforations as shown in FIGURE 7.

This section of the rotor is then cut out of the metal strip andsimultaneously therewith the blading is formed for the particular switchin which the rotor is to be used. The configuration shown by the dottedlines in FIGURE 7 is typical and is the one employed in the switch shownin FIGURE 1. Obviously a large variety of patterns can be obtained fromthis arrangement so that a large variety of stationary contacts can beinterconnected electrically at certain positions of the rotor.

Also adding flexibility to the arrangement is the fact that long andshort contact members can be used on the stator and, by simply cuttingout windows such as that indicated at 44 or notches 45 in the blade ofthe rotor, certain contact members can'be taken out of the circuit atparticular positions. For example, in FIGURE 1 in the position indicatedthestationary contacts 46 and 41 are cut out of the circuitinthis'manner;

In the molding operation each section of the rotor is provided with acircular or an arcuate groove which combines to provide a passageway 48when the two sections are assembled 'on the switch stator. Also formedin each section of the rotor during the molding operation is a pluralityof holes 49 and 50. The holes 50 extend part way into the sections fromthe outer surface 51 and are in spaced coaxial relationship with theholes "49'communicating with the bottom surface 54. The holes 49 alsointersect the passageway 48. Separating the holes 49 and 50 in each ofthe sections of the rotor are partitions which contain the metal fingerformed by the perforations 40 and 41.

Besides the perforations 40 and 41, two enlarged openings 52 and 53'areprovided in the metal strip'prior to the molding operation. Theseopenings are large enough to allowthe passage of the rivets 54 and 55which are used to connect the two sections of the rotor. These rivetsare located in holes 57 and 58 provided in'the body of insulatingmaterial 43 and pass through the openings 52 and 53. In this manner therivets 54 and 55 can pass through both sections of the rotor withoutengaging or electrically connecting the blading of either rotor.

In a preferred'form of the present invention, means are provided wherebystationary contact members on the stator can be electrically connectedtogether even though they may be as much as 150 apart on the same sideor on opposite sides of the stator. Assume, for example, that in theswitch shown in FIGURE 1 it is desired to electrically connect thestationary contact member 35 with the contact member 56 located on theopposite side of the stator and approximately 120 from the contact 35.The partition between a pair of spaced coaxial holes 49 and 50 ispunched out to form a first elongated hole 4% adjacent to one of thestationary contact members, and a second elongated hole 49a is similarlyformed adjacent to another of the stationary contact members. Theelongated holes 49a and 4% may be in opposite sections of the rotor asshown in FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings or in the same section of therotor. By punching out the insulating material which forms the partitionbetween the holes 49 and 50, one of the metal finger's'is upended 90 toa position where it extends along the wall of the elongated opening andabove the surface of the rotor. An electrical conductor 62 shaped suchas the one indicated in FIGURE 5 is placed in the passageway 48 so thatits ends '60 and 61 extendinto the openings 49a and 4917. This is donewhen the rotor is assembled after which the ends 60 and 61 of theconductor 62 can be soldered or spot'welded to the rotor blades '31 and63 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4; This electrically connects the blade3-1'in rotor section '32 with the blade 63 of rotor section 33 which inturn electrically connects the stationary contact members 35 and 56 whenthe switch is in the position indicated in FIGURE '1.

In the switch shown the two rotor sections are riveted together.Therivets' make it impossible to electrically connect stationary contactmembers on opposite sides of the rivets since the rivets block thepassageway 48 However, should other means, e.g., a nonconductive epoxycement be employed to assemble the rotor so that all of the openings 49and 50 are available, then it would be possible to electrically connectany stationary contact A member on the switch to any other contactmemberon the same side or on the opposite side of the stator.

While there has been illustrated and described what is at presentconsidered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, itwill be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications are likelyto occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended in the appendedclaims to cover all those changes and modificationswhich fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the present invention.

The invention claimed is 1. In a rotary wafer switch comprising incombination, a first contact carrier of insulating material pro videdwith a central opening, a plurality of contact members attached to oneside of the first contact carrier,'a second contact carrier ofinsulating material rotatably supported in the opening of the firstcontact carrier, a plurality of coplanar electrically conducting fingersin laterally spaced relationship, the second contact carrier beingmolded to the electrically conducting fingers, an internal circularpassageway in the second contact carrier, a portion'of two of thefingers extending into the passageway, and aco'nductor in the passagewayelectrically con nected to two of the 'coplanarelectrically conductingfingers.

- 2. A switch comprising a first and second cooperating relativelymovable contact carriers of insulating material; a plurality of contactmembers arranged in a row and fixedly secured to one side of thefirst'contact carrier, a pair'ofcon'tact jaws integrally secured to eachof the contact members and extending inwardly of the outer edge of thefirst contact carrier, a pair of blades in laterally spaced relationshipelectrically insulated from each other and lying in a plane interposedbetween the contact jaws of the contact members, an electricallyconductive finger integrally connected to each of the blades, the secondcontact carrier being molded to the fingers and being provided with apair of laterally spaced apertures normal to the pair of blades, aportion of each of the fingers extending into the apertures, an arcuatepassageway in the second contact carrier lying in spaced parallelrelationship to the pair of blades and communicating with the aperturesnormal to the pair of blades, and a conductor in the passagewayextending into the apertures and electrically connected to the fingerstogether.

3. A rotary wafer switch comprising, in combination;

a stator comprising an annular body of insulating material provided witha central opening and havinga thick peripheral section; a plurality ofcontact members attached to both sides of the peripheral section of theannular body;

a rotor comprising a body of insulating material rotatably supported inthe openingof the stator; a plurality of flat metal fingers in laterallyspaced relationship embedded in the rotor and arranged to contact thecontact members as the rotor is rotated, the fin gers being arranged intwo parallel planes with each plane being on opposite sides of theannular stator body;

a circular passageway located between the two parallel planes of thefingers and parallel thereto; at least two holes in the rotor extendingtransverselyof the two parallel planes andcommunicating with thepassageway; at least a portion of one of the metal fingers" beingdisposed in each of the holes; and a'conductor in the passageway and theholes electrically connecting the two metal fingers together.

4. A rotary wafer switch comprising, in combination;

a stator having an annular body of insulating material witha relativelythick'peripheral portion anda relatively thin inner portion defining acentral opening;

a plurality of radially extending contact members attachedto both sidesof the peripheral portion a rotor rotatably supported in theopening'defined by the relatively thin inner portion of the stator, therotor comprising, two sections of insulating material;

a plurality of coplanar metal fingers molded in each section andarranged to engage the contact members on the annular body of thestator;

a groove in each of the sections combining to provide a circularpassageway extending around the rotor between the two sets of coplanarmetal fingers;

a plurality of holes in each of the sections located above the circularpassageway and extending partially into the sections toward the metalfingers;

at least two holes communicating with the passageway; and a conductorextending through each hole and the passageway electrically connectingthe fingers adjacent the said two holes.

5. The switch of claim 2, wherein the apertures communicate with theouter surface of the second contact carrier and a portion of each of thefingers is upended in the aperture and exposed to the outer surface ofthe second contact carrier, and means electrically securing theconductor to the fingers.

6. In a switch, the combination of a first and second cooperatingrelatively movable contact carriers of insulating material, a pluralityof contact members arranged in a row and fixedly secured to one side ofthe first contact carrier, a pair of contact jaws integrally secured toeach of the contact members and extending inwardly of the outer edge ofthe first contact carrier, a pair of blades in laterally spacedrelationship lying in a plane interposed between the contact jaws of thecontact members, an electrically conductive finger integrally connectedto each of the blades, the second contact carrier being molded to thefingers, an internal passageway in the second contact carrier lying inspaced parallel relationship to the pair of blades, and a conductor inthe passageway, the fingers extending into the passageway and beingconnected to the conductor.

7. A switch comprising a first and second cooperating relatively movablecontact carriers of insulating material, a plurality of contact membersarranged in a row and fixedly secured to one side of the first contactcarrier, a pair of contact jaws integrally secured to each of thecontact members and extending inwardly of the outer edge of the firstcontact carrier, a pair of blades in laterally spaced relationship lyingin a plane interposed between the contact jaws of the contact members,an electrically conductive finger integrally connected to each of theblades, the second contact carrier being molded to the fingers, apassageway in the second contact carrier, the center portion of thepassageway being parallel to the plane of the fingers, a portion of eachof the fingers extending into the outer portions of the passageway, anda conductor in the passageway electrically connecting the fingerstogether.

8. A switch comprising a first and second cooperating relatively movablecontact carriers of insulating material, a plurality of contact membersfixedly secured to opposite sides of the first contact carrier, a pairof blades adapted to make contact with the contact members when thecarriers are moved edgewisc relative to each other, an electricalconductive finger integrally connected to each of the blades, thefingers being disposed in laterally spaced relationship on each side ofthe first contact carrier, the second contact carrier being molded tothe fingers and being provided with a pair of laterally spaced aperturesnormal to the pair of blades, a portion of each of the fingers extendinginto the apertures, an arcuate passageway in the second contact carrierlying in spaced parallel relationship to the pair of blades andcommunicating with the apertures normal to the pair of blades, and aconductor in the passageway extending into the apertures andelectrically connected to the fingers together.

9. The switch of claim 8, wherein the second contact carrier comprises apair of sections, each of the sections being molded to one of thefingers, the finger in one section being interconnected to the finger inthe other section by the conductor electrically connecting the bladestogether.

10. The switch of claim 9, wherein an arcuate groove is provided in eachsection and, when the sections are secured together, the arcuate groovesof the sections cooperate to form the arcuate passageway.

11. A switch comprising a first and second cooperating relativelymovable contact carriers of insulating material, a plurality of contactmembers fixedly secured to both sides of the first contact carrier, 2.pair of blades electrically insulated from each other and adapted tomake contact with the contact members when the first and second contactcarriers are moved edgewise relative to each other, an electricallyconductive finger integrally connected to each of the blades, thefingers being disposed in laterally spaced relationship on each side ofthe first contact carrier, the second contact carrier being molded tothe fingers and being provided with a pair of laterally spaced aperturesnormal to the pair of blades, a portion of each of the fingers beingupended and extending into the apertures, an arcuate passageway in thesecond contact carrier lying in spaced parallel relationship to the pairof blades and communicating with the apertures normal to the pair ofblades, and a conductor in the passageway extending into the apertureselectrically connecting the fingers together.

12. A switch comprising a first and second cooperating relativelymovable contact carriers of insulating material, a plurality of contactmembers fixedly secured to both sides of the first contact carrier, apair of blades electrically insulated from each other and adapted tomake contact with the contact members when the first and second contactcarriers are moved edgewise relative to each other, an electricallyconductive finger integrally connected to each of the blades, thefingers being disposed in laterally spaced relationship on each side ofthe first contact carrier, the second contact carrier being molded tothe fingers and being provided with a pair of laterally spaced aperturesnormal to the pair of blades, an upended portion of each of the fingersextending into the apertures, an internal arcuate passageway in thesecond contact carrier lying in spaced parallel relationship to the pairof blades and communicating with the apertures normal to the pair ofblades, and a conductor in the passageway extending into the apertureselectrically connecting the fingers together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,060,951 11/36Rae et al 200l4 X 2,554,724 5/51 Williams 200ll 2,828,393 3/58 Wingard200ll X 2,900,462 8/59 Thomas et al 2001l 2,949,5 l1 8/60 Glueckstein etal 200-11 OTHER REFERENCES German application 1,118,861, 12-7-61.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

3. A ROTARY WAFER SWITCH COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION; A STATOR COMPRISINGAN ANNULAR BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENINGAND HAVING A THICK PERIPHERAL SECTION; A PLURALITY OF CONTACT MEMBERSATTACHED TO BOTH SIDES OF THE PERIPHERAL SECTION OF THE ANNULAR BODY; AROTOR COMPRISING A BODY OF INSULATING MATERIAL ROTATABLY SUPPORTED INTHE OPENING OF THE STATOR; A PLURALITY OF FLAT METAL FINGERS INLATERALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP EMBEDDED IN THE ROTOR AND ARRANGED TOCONTACT THE CONTACT MEMBERS AS THE ROTOR IS ROTATED, THE FINGERS BEINGARRANGED IN TWO PARALLEL PLANES WITH EACH PLANE BEING ON OPPOSITE SIDESOF THE ANNULAR STATOR BODY; A CIRCULAR PASSAGEWAY LOCATED BETWEEN THETWO PARALLEL PLANES OF THE FINGERS AND PARALLEL THERETO; AT LEAST TWOHOLES IN THE ROTOR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE TWO PARALLEL PLANES ANDCOMMUNICATING WITH THE PASSAGEWAY; AT LEAST A PORTION OF ONE OF THEMETAL FINGERS BEING DISPOSED IN EACH OF THE HOLES; AND A CONDUCTOR INTHE PASSAGEWAY AND THE HOLES ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE TWO METALFINGERS TOGETHER.